Oriental Cockroach Control: How To Get Rid of Oriental Cockroaches

This page is a general oriental cockroach control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will gain control of oriental cockroaches. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of oriental cockroaches.

While german cockroaches and american cockroaches are a much more common intruder in households, another frequent trespasser is the oriental cockroach. Despite their name stating otherwise, the oriental cockroach doesn't actually originate from Asia as entomologists believe that this cockroach is native to North Africa. Through travel and trade it has made it's way to the USA and primarily is found in the Northern United States.

Unlike most cockroach species that prefer to live close to human dwellings where they can easily gain access to food and water, the oriental cockroach prefers to live outdoors. In fact, it thrives in the natural environment. However, in the north, the oriental cockroach is slowly adapting to enjoy indoor living where they can inhibit moist and damp areas, making it a pest homeowners have to deal with.

Oriental Cockroaches have the ability to transmit pathogens and disease to food serving surfaces and to eating utensils. These roaches, in particular, come in contact with decaying or decomposing materials when they travel inside plumbing and drains making them a greater threat for transmitting bacteria (E. Coli or Salmonella) and disease than other roaches.

If you are encountering oriental cockroaches in your home, follow along on this DIY guide that will show you expert techniques and professional-quality products you can use to get rid of the infestation quickly and affordably.

Identification

Before you can carry out treatment, you need to be certain you are dealing with an oriental cockroach and not some other pest. Careless identification can lead to you using the wrong treatment products that will be ineffective, which can be a waste of your time and money.

Knowing what oriental cockroaches look like is important, so here are some distinguishing characteristics of oriental cockroaches for easy identification.

• Oriental cockroaches have smooth and shiny dark brown or black bodies, with a matching pronotum and are about 1.25 inches long making them one of the larger kinds of roaches.
• They have wings, but they are mainly there for show as neither male nor female roaches can fly.
• Female oriental roaches are larger than male roaches, spanning about 1.25 inches compared to 1 inch for the male. Compared to American roaches, which can grow up to 2 inches in length, the oriental roaches are smaller and stouter.
• Where oriental cockroaches are plentiful, if you aren't spotting them, you may be able to detect them from their unpleasant and strong odor.

Use the description and image above to correctly identify oriental cockroaches you are dealing with. If you are not sure, contact us and our representatives will try and assist you with identification.

Inspection

Oriental Cockroaches mainly live outdoors but can go into properties when the weather turns harsh. During summer and winter, they might go indoors if conditions get too cold or to dry. They have been known to invade structures during periods of drought and usually reside in dark and moist places below ground level.

Where To Inspect

Begin your inspection indoors. Look close to areas that create moisture, like kitchens and bathrooms. In the kitchen and bathroom look inside cabinets, drawers, shelves, pantries, and under sinks (where plumbing penetrates walls). Also, inspect in utility rooms and laundry rooms. They are commonly found in plumbing, drains, sewers, or around the foundation of structures.

Outdoors search in crawl spaces, around the foundation of your property, inside yard debris, like leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, rocks, stones, cracks or crevices and any place where they may harbor.

What To Look For

You're looking for oriental cockroaches and signs of their activity. Many times this means looking for feces (or droppings that look like black pepper). If you find any droppings inside your cabinets, shelves, drawers, or pantries, then you will have identified activity.

Also, inspect at night and look at floor drains, sinks, and near plumbing as this is where they are commonly found. Once you have identified oriental cockroach activity or the roaches themselves, take note of the areas where you found them, this is where you will apply the treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed oriental cockroach activity it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

To get rid of oriental cockroaches, we recommend applying a barrier treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide and Ficam Insect Bait outdoors around your yard and perimeter. Indoors, use a combination of Apex Cockroach Gel Bait and Ficam Insect Bait.

Step 1 - Outdoor Treatment with Supreme IT

Supreme IT is a powerful insecticide that will both repel and kill oriental cockroaches. Supreme IT also has a residual (or long-term effect) that will last for up to 90 days. The active ingredient within Supreme IT is bifenthrin 7.9%, that will kill pests it comes into contact with and leave a barrier that prevents pests from crossing.

Determine how much Supreme IT you will need by calculating the square footage of the perimeter. To do this, measure and multiply the area length times the width (length x width = square footage). 1 fluid ounce of Supreme IT out of 1 gallon of spray solution can treat 1,000 sq. ft. So for example, if you calculated 2,500 sq. ft., you would need 2.5 oz. of Supreme IT mixed in 2.5 gallons of water. We recommend you use this product in a 1 or 1.5 gallon hand sprayer to make mixing and application quick and easy.

To mix, fill your pump sprayer with half a gallon water and add your measured amount of Supreme IT concentrate. Add the rest of the water up to the 1-gallon line. Close the sprayer, and shake to ensure an even distribution. Pump the sprayer a few times to produce a low pressure spray. Perform the perimeter treatment by spraying 3 feet up and 3 feet out from the foundation of your home while also spraying windows, doors, garages, eaves, soffits, rain gutters, cracks and crevices, and electrical/plumbing areas. Once an adult roach reaches comes into contact with the chemical solution, it can take up to an hour for it to die.

Step 2 - Apply Ficam Insect Bait

Ficam is a granular product that you can apply with a handheld spreader or by hand. Oriental Cockroaches that come into contact with Ficam will inspect the bait and die shortly after from consuming it.

You will apply by creating a perimeter treatment around your structure, making sure it is at least 10 feet away from the structure and applied around the exterior outline of the property and garden beds. If applied next to your homes foundation then it may prove to be inneffective as Supreme IT will repel pests from the Ficam bait. To apply, use a rate of 2 to 4 pounds per thousand square feet of treatment area, or more simply, 3.2 to 6 ounces per 100 square feet. You can also apply Ficam around trees, flowerbeds, in mulched areas, and near woodpiles.

To apply from the container, open the container and remove the seal. Hold the container about 4-5 inches above the ground and shake the product out in 2 to 4 foot bands around your treatment perimeter

When applying the Ficam, make sure to avoid areas where you applying the Supreme IT, allowing a distance of about 10 feet from the perimeter barrier that was sprayed. Since Supreme IT is a repellent all the roaches will be driven back away from the property and pushed toward where the Ficam is applied so they can consume the Ficam.

Step 3 - Indoor Treatment with Apex Cockroach Gel Bait

Apex Cockroach Gel Bait is an effective bait that contains food attractants roaches can't resist and is combined with a slow-killing active ingredient. Because it works slowly, the roaches will ingest the product becoming contaminated and will carry it back to the nest where further elimination of the population will occur.

Before applying this product make sure to eliminate food and water sources. Clean your whole home, making sure not to use cleaning chemicals. Use only soapy water. Wipe and clean countertops, vacuum and mop kitchen floors, and take out the garbage. Do your best to clean your home and reduce competing food sources.

To use Apex, simply apply a pea-sized drop of the gel bait every 12 inches. Place them in cabinets, shelves, drawers, cracks and crevices, and around plumbing entry points or wherever else you see roach activity. You can even place Apex under appliances by using a business card and applying a drop to the business card and then sliding it underneath appliances.

Remember not to disturb or kill the roaches that come in contact with the product, and remember not to use cleaning chemicals or other insecticides in the places where you applied Apex for at least 5 days. Let 5 days go by and let the roaches feed on the product undisturbed, and do not use cleaning supplies or products for this period of time.

Step 4 - Indoor Application of Ficam Bait

While Ficam was used outdoors, you can also apply Ficam Bait indoors as well in your attics, crawl spaces, basements and wherever else you are seeing roach activity. Apply at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Make sure to apply in areas of attics, basements, and crawl spaces where you have noticed feces or oriental roaches.

Prevention

After you have eliminated the oriental roach invasion, you will need to make sure they don't make a comeback. Remember to keep your home as dry and moisture-free as possible by getting rid of any standing water, cleaning out your rain gutters, fixing leaky faucets, and repairing faulty plumbing.

Use caulking, copper mesh, or pest foam to seal and close off any entry points, slits, gaps, or openings that roaches might use to travel. Seal off openings around plumbing (especially under sinks where plumbing penetrates walls) and consider adding screens to all the sinks and drains in your home, since this is where oriental roaches are mainly found.

Maintain a regular cleaning schedule and do not let dishes pile up in the sink and generate water and food sources for oriental roaches. Wipe countertops frequently, and mop and vacuum your home to get rid of food crumbs, spills, or grease. Take out the garbage daily and do not leave pet food and water bowl out at night. In the yard, get rid of yard debris like leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, stones, rocks, and general clutter that can create harborage areas for Oriental roaches.

And finally, use Supreme IT every 90 days around the perimeter of your structure to maintain a protective insecticidal barrier that will repel and kill any roaches that might try to get inside.

Key Takeaways

What are Oriental Cockroaches?

• Oriental Cockroaches are large-sized cockroaches that can frequently trespass into homes in search of warmth and moisture.

How to Get Rid of Oriental Cockroaches

• To eliminate an infestation of oriental cockroaches we recommend an outdoor perimeter treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide and Ficam Insect Bait. Indoors, use a combination Apex Cockroach Gel Bait and Ficam Insect Bait.

Preventing Oriental Cockroach Reinfestation

• Prevent future infestations of oriental cockroaches via environmental modifications and exclusion measures like sealing off cracks and crevices with caulk and a preventative application of Supreme IT Insecticide to create a protective barrier to keep them out.